Livin’ Lite Recreational Vehicles LLC announced it has secured space near the RV/MH Hall of Fame to display product during the Elkhart County RV Open House Week, Sept. 17-21.

In addition, the Wakarusa, Ind.-based lightweight trailer builder said that it has been named to INC. Magazine’s Top 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies for the third straight year.

“It’s exciting to make this list for the third straight year,” reports LIVIN LITE President Scott Tuttle. “They actually have a Top 5000 list, and just the top 10% of that, the Top 500, make it into the magazine. To make the magazine for the third straight year is a testament to the incredible consumer interest in Livin’ Lite’s unique products as well as the hard work of our team members here at the factory.”

INC. Magazine reports that Livin’ Lite sales have increased 1,793.1% over the last three years, placing them at No. 201 on the list of rapidly growing companies.

Tuttle said that Livin’ Lite will be introducing several new products during the open house, including: the 21-foot Camplite, the company’s first slideout model; an all-new new truck camper; and the Axxess ultra-lightweight toy hauler.

Livin’ Lite is going to be sharing a cul-de-sac with EverGreen RV LLC and Cruiser RV LLC on Executive Drive, which leads to the Hall of Fame.

“It’s nice to be sharing space with two other great companies that we really respect and we are confident that dealers who take the time to stop by and see our product displays will not be disappointed,” said Tuttle.

Designed specifically for the cost conscious, no frills, camping enthusiast Chaney’s compact lightweight tent top camper solutions were inspired by the simplicity of those vintage tent trailers of yore and are aimed squarely at those who, as Scott puts it, “enjoy unplugged camping.”

Chaney, a former IT Program Manager, incorporated his Salem, Oregon-based camping company in 2007 shortly after becoming a member of what he ruefully describes as Hewlett-Packard’s “cast-off employees society.” Fortunately, “I always had that need to take things apart and put them back together,” said Chaney. “I can think all the way back to when I was a little kid building models. I’d build it first and then I’d take two or three other models I had, take them all apart and combine them into a single model that was better than the rest.”

Chaney, who probably had no inkling that his childhood fondness for Tinker Toys and Erector Sets would culminate over three decades later in the creation of a prototype quarter ton, top loading, military-style camping trailer with an onboard tent, added, “It ended up getting sold within two camping trips.”

Travel trailer and fifth-wheel registrations for the month totaled 10,411, compared to 16,997 in March 2008, a decline of 38.7%. Retail registration totals by segment:

Travel trailers: 7,239 compared to 11,599 in March of 2008.

Fifth-wheels: 3,172 vs. 5,398 last March.

Camping trailers: 983, down from 1,616 last year.

Recreational park trailers: 135, off from 298 in ’08.

Thor Industries Inc. expanded its hold on the travel trailer market with a 30.8% share in March and 29.3% for the first quarter, more than double its closest competitor, Jayco Inc.

Thor had an even greater lead in the fifth-wheel market with a 40.6% market share in March and 39.7% share for the first quarter. Forest River Inc. was a distant second with a 12% and 13.6% share for March and the quarter, respectively.

FTCA Inc.’s Coleman camping trailer was the top selling folding camping trailer manufacturer with a 33.8% market share in March and 34.1% share for the quarter. Jayco was second at 26.6% for March 25.4% for the quarter.

In the recreational park trailer segment, Thor and Skyline Corp. were in a dead heat for the quarter, each with a 16.1% market share with Chariot Eagle a close third with 13.5%. For March, Thor was tops with 19.3% market share, followed by Skyline with 16.3% and Chariot Eagle with 17%.